Collapsible ash tray



May 9, 1950 P. K. MADAN 2,506,962.

COLLAPSIBLE ASH TRAY Filed Jan. 20, 1945 l ll i V ATTOR Y Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED ES PATENT OF F ICE.-

GOLIHAEPSIBLE ASH TRAY Bhilip- KaMadan, Mount, Vernon. Y..

ApplicatinnJ'anuary-ZU, 1945; Serial No. -7 3,743

1. Glainn i,

Thisinvention: relates. to. asin trays-i. More particularly, the invention: deals with: deYiQfiSFQf this kind which are so constructed as tobespacked for-shipment in afiatcompact package facilitating assemblage of many trays in a small shipping container as well as storage-thereof; and which may bereadily foldedand assembled.v toform: the ash tray. Still more particularly, the, invention deals with.v a tray of. the. class. described which may be composed of inexpensive paper board covered on inner and outen surfaces with a metallic or other facing; rendering the tray substantially fireproof.

The'novel' features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing-descriptions when taken together with theaccompanying drawing in which certain embodiments: of the invention are-disclosed; andin which the separatepartsare designated by suitable reference characters: in each of the views; andin which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the ash tray in assembled position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the ash tray in collapsed or folded position, also indicating in dot and dash lines the outline of the blank from which the entire device is formed.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. l;

and I Fig. 5 is a sectional detailed view of the strip 4 of material employed, showing the metallic or other facing sheets thereon.

To illustrate one adaptation of my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawing a collapsible ash tray formed from cardboard or similar paper board cut to form a blank of the type illustrated in full and dot and dash lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing, this blank comprising an elongated strip divided by score lines into a top wall or section I0, a bottom wall or section II joined by a side wall l2. The other side of the top wall In includes a foldable side wall portion l3, whereas the free end of the bottom wall includes a securing flap l4 adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the side wall [3, the flap being folded on the line l5, note Fig. 2.

The walls l2 and I3 each have at their ends foldable flaps, the fiaps of the wall l2 being designated by the reference character I6 and the flaps of the wall l3 by the reference character H. The flaps l6 and I! are adapted to be arranged within and walls I8 and I9 foldable with respect to the top wall ID on the fold lines 20, the end walls l8 and I 9 having foldable flapsg2l and 22 respectively which are adapted to rest upon the inner 2. surface of the-bottom wall II. as clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawing:

When assembled, the ash. tray forms; a. 10.3 like container of a depth defined by the widthoi the side and end Walls I2", P3,. [3 and L9. The top wall It has anoctagon aperture 23 formed centrally thereof in the manner clearly illustratedin Fig. 1. In forming this aperture. one boundary wall thereof is left" with an; integral fcldable plateportion 24 which, is adapted to be folded upon theupper surface:- ofathe wall: Hi adjacent. one corner 25' of'the. resulting ashE tray, and secured to the wall mm any desired manner: For example by gluing, stapling or theelikei When the tra is assembled alledges'of the openingnor aperture 23- are arranged inwardly of and in spaced relation to the side and end. walls, and the foldable plate portion ormember; 24 extends over the corner portion of the tray so as to; be supported b the'top wall and adjacent portions ofone of said end walls and one of saidsidewa-lls;

The plate 24 will form on the resulting ash tray a holder plate, and by attaching the central portion only of this plate to the wall lo, the ends 26 of the plate will be free and have a tendency to curl upwardly to a slight extent to form a holder for retaining a cigar or cigarette against accidental shifting on the tray. It is preferred that the holder 24 be arranged at a corner, such as the corner 25 of the top wall, so that this holder will be contained within the boundaries of the tray when in its collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the complete ash tray is made from a single sheet of material cut and scored to form the resulting tray. In the simpler or more economical form of device, the tray may be composed of a sheet of cardboard or similar paper board faced on both surfaces in any desired manner to render the same substantially flame-proof. One method of procedure would be to simply face the sheet material with metallic facings, such as metal foil.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing is shown a sectional detailed view, slightly in perspective, of a sheet 21 of cardboard or other material having upper and lower facings or facing sheets 28 and 29. These facing sheets are not illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 in order to simplify the showing. It will be understod, however, that in more practical uses of the invention, facings of flame-proof materials or sheets will be employed, such for example, as metal foil, and when metal foil is used, the foil may be produced in different colors and 3 ma be characterized by embossing to give neat and finished appearances to the resulting tray.

It must be understood, however, that the tray may be composed of any type and kind of material suitable for construction and assemblage in the manner defined, and in some instances, simply characterized cardboard or other paper board may be used, particularly when the ash trays are used for a short period of time and then disposed of.

Basically, an ash tray is designated for the reception of ashes, and not necessarily as a holder for a cigar or cigarette, and from this standpoint, it will be understood that devices of this type and kind having a one use factor can be composed of very inexpensive material, even heavy paper, and used at banquets, dinner parties and the like, and then disposed of in the same manner as a paper napkin or paper dish. Devices Of this type and kind will also lend themselves to the application of advertising matter, advertising the restaurant or hotel where the ash trays are used, and may be also characterized by name imprints for home use at bridge parties or other similar occasions.

In some instances, the collapsed containers may be used by merchants for the packaging of merchandise, in which event, the merchant will place the merchandise in the assembled box-like ash tray, thus giving the purchaser a container usable in the home for the intended purpose.

The more elaborate types of trays, namely those having the flame or fireproof characteristics'in facings or sheets applied thereto may have a long life use and these trays may be readily cleaned out by simply opening one of the end walls and dumping the ashes from the tray and again closing said end wall.

The upward curling or extension of the ends 26 of the plate 24 can, when desired, be encouraged by the provision of score lines, as indicated by dash lines 26 in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A collapsible ash tray comprising foldably re lated top, bottom, side and end walls, all of said walls being rectangular and having facings of flame resisting material, means including flaps for retaining said wallsin assembled relationship, said top wall having a large central octagon opening exposing the interior of the tray, when assembled, for the reception of ashes, all edges of said opening being arranged inwardly of and in spaced relation to said side and end Walls, and a member'integral with the top wall and foldable directly onto and secured to the top wall to form at one corner portion of the top wall of the tray a cigar and cigarette holder, said member extending over said one corner portion so as to be supported by the top wall and adjacent portions of one of said end walls and one of said side walls.

PHILIP K. MADAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IEN TS Number Name Date 1,172,411 Von Kaenel Feb. 22, 1916 1,230,401 Gold June 19, 1917 1,701,833 Aceto Feb. 12, 1929 1,892,092 Barad Dec. 27, 1932 1,952,382 MacGregor Mar. 27, 1934 2,006,811 Mersbach July 2, 1935 2,189,055 Cage Feb. 6, 1940 2,207,040 Amen July 9, 1940 2,298,146 Mersbach Oct. 6, 1942 2,311,137 Sunderhauf et al. Feb. 16, 1943 

